Automatic control device



Dec. 19, 1933.

G. H. FRANK AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE! Filed Feb, 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet2 50 of different diameters.

Patented Dec. 19, 1933 AUTOMATIC CONTROL nnvion uGeoi-ge Herman Frank,Cicero, Ill., assignor to pany, Incorporated, New

Western Electric Com York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 3"Application February '2, 1929. Serial No. 337,110 I 2 claims.) (01.192-428)- This invention relates to automatic control devices, and moreparticularly to an automatic stopping device for strand workingmachines.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliable,and durable device for automatically stopping a strand workingmechanism. i 7

One embodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of a devicewherein a rod operated by a tension arm carrying a wire travelingthrough a wire drawing machine is. connected to a ported sleevepositioned intermediate two stationary pneumatic cylinders. When thewire breaks or the supply thereof becomes exhausted, the tension arm androd are actuated through a resilient member to move the ported sleeveinto position to interconnect the cylinders and thus supply pneumaticpressure through a tube to another cylinder. The piston in the lattercylinder is then operated to effect the stopping of the wire drawingmachine by releasing a latch which holds a manually operated startingclutch lever in operative position against the compression of a spring.i V

' Other features and advantages of-the invention will become apparentfrom the foilowing detailed description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1' is a front elevational view of awire drawing machine having a control device embodying the features ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view partly insection, showingthe control device .in operative association with thelever connections for operating thecapstan clutch; i r

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig.2, and i Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken=on line 4-4 of Fig.3. i l

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designatesimilar parts throughout the several views, a compartment ofsubstantially rectangular shape is supported by a framework 11. The wiredrawing apparatus is mounted within the compartment 10 and comprises ahorizontal shaft 15, upon which is mounted a plurality of integralcapstans 16-16 Supported above I the shaft are a plurality of sheaves1717 independently mounted upon a horizontally disposed shaft 18suitably supported within the compartment 10. Mounted between thesheaves 1717 and capstans 1616 is a die block 19 which is' also suitablysupported within the compartment 10. I i A supply of wire to be reducedin diameter is carried by a supply stool 20 suitably mounted at thefront of the'machine. I In the drawing operation, the wire is guidedfrom the supply spool over and under pulleys and 26, respectively; andthen over the rear sheave '17 and through the first reducing die (notshown) carried by the die block 19. The 6 wire is'then wound once aroundthe capstan of die the drawn wire passes around the capstan 16 oflargest diameter and is' guided by a pulley 27 mounted onja stationaryarm 28 adjustably positioned on the shaft 18. From pulley27 the wirepasses over a pulleyBQ carried by a tension arm 31, and thence is leadto-a take-"up spool 32 driven by a mechanism as fully describdin Patent1,598,397, J. N.-Selvig, September 7,1926.v

The clutchmechanism for connecting the integral. capstans 1616 to anddiscdnnecting them from a 'soui'ce.of driving power is illustrated inFig. 2, the clutchbeing shown in op: era'tivepo'sition. The clutchproper comprises an annular member 36 which is slidably keyed to acollar 37 rigidly fastened to the shaft 15 carrying the integralcapstans 16 16. Interposed'. between the annular member 36 and a flange38 of, the collar 37 is a compression spring 40 which serves to keep. afriction surface 41 of the member 36 in engagement with a frictionsurface 42 of a driving disk 43. This 9 disk isrotatablymounted on theshaft 15 and is fastened to a bevel gear- 44 meshing with another bevelgear 45 which is driven from 'a suitable source of power (not shown).

superposed upon a horizontal flange of the member 36 is a ring 46 heldin a non-rotatable position by a lever 48 pivoted thereto. The up-' perend of this lever makes contact with a depending projection 49 of ahousing 50 secured in the framework 11 and the lower end of the 1leveriengages at all times the upper arm of a bell crank 51 pivoted at52. A reciprocable rod 56' is interposed between the underside of thehorizontally disposed arm of the bell crank 51 and the end of a lever5'7 which is pivotally mounted at-58 in a bracket 59 secured to theframework 11. In a bifurcated end of the lever 57 is pivoted a threadedlink 60 which passes through a telescopic spring housing composed of twomembers 61 and 62 and which has the lower end thereof pivotallyconnected to. a foot pedal 63. The member 61 forms part of a dependingbracket 67 fastened to the framework 11 and the member 62 threaded onthe link 60 is adapted to telescope within the member 61 to compress aspring 68 when the link 60 is moved upwardly.

The upward movement of the link 60 is accomplished by depressing thefoot pedal 63, thereby causing it to rock about its pivot '70. When thefoot pedal is depressed, a laterally extending catch '71 thereon isengaged by a latch 72 pivoted at 73. locked engagement with the footpedal 63 by a piston rod 77 which makes a swivel connec-- tion with thelatch at '78 and which is normally controlled by a spring 79 interposedbetween a piston 81 and an end of a cylinder 80.

To release the latch 72, it can be manually moved to the left (Fig. 2)against the compressive force of the spring '79 or it'can. be controlledby pneumatically operating the piston 81. The pneumatic releasingapparatus includes a housing 85 fastened to the framework l1- andforming a cylinder 86 (Figs. 3 and 4) in which 'a' stationary cylinder87 is securely mounted thereto by a pin 88. A reciprocable sleeve 89,having a slot 90 for clearing the pin 88, is positioned intermediate thecylinders 86 8'7and is rigidly secured through a pm 91 and a horizontalmember 92 (Fig. 1) to a rod 93 which is connected to the tension arm 31by a link 94. The tension arm when free is normally held'in a raisedposition as indicated by the dot and dash lines, as shown in Fig. 1, bya clock-spring 95; For a more detailed description of this tensioningmechanism reference maybe had to the aforementioned Patent No.1,598,937. x i It is to be noted that the cylinders 8687 and the'sleeve89 have orifices or ports 97, 98 and 99;'respective1y, which are inalignment (Fig. 3) only when the tension arm 31 is in its uppermostposition, as illustrated by thev dot and dashlines in Fig. 1. Theorifice 97 in the wall of the cylinder 86 is connected through tubing100 to a score of compressed air (not shown), and the cylinder 87 isconnected by a tube 102 to the cylinder 80. A dash pot effect is trans-'mitted-to the movement of the'sleeve 89 by the use of needle valves105106 for controlling the rate of emission of air through the tubularvents"10'l-108 that may be imprisoned between the head of. the sleeve 89and the heads of the.

cylinders 86 and 87, respectively.

- When the wire breaks or the supply thereof becomes exhausted duringthe operation of the wire drawing machine, the tension on the arm 31This latch is held in is removed and the arm moves to its uppermostposition due to the energy stored inthe clock spring 95. Theinterconnecting link 94 moves the rod 93 and the sleeve 89 connectedthereto downward, which movement aligns the orifices or ports 97, 98 and99 and admits air under pressure fromtube therethrough into the tube 102and cylinder 80 to force the piston 81 to the left against thecompressive force of the spring '79. This movement of the piston 81forces the latch 72 clear of the catch 71 to release the foot pedal 63.The compressive force of the spring 68 also moves the link 60 downward,thereby rocking the lever 57 clockwise to force the rod 56 upward. Asthe rod 56 moves upward, the bell crank 51 is rocked clockwise, therebymoving the lever 48 about its fulcrum at the projection 49 to force thering 46 and driven member 36 to the right (Fig. 2) against thecompression of spring 40 and thus separate the member 36 from thedriving disk 43 to stop the rotation of the capstans 16-16.

Although the invention herein described and illustrated is particularlyWell adapted for use in connection with wire drawing machines, it

will be understood that the invention'is capable of many otherapplications'and should be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

' 1. In a strand working mechanism, means to move a strand through themechanism, means to ciated with the tension arm and having areciprocable sleeve interposed between two 'cylinders for retarding theactuation of the clutch to'prevent a momentary slack in the wire fromcausing the tension arm to render the clutch' inoperative.

2. In'a strand working mechanism, means to move a strand through themechanism, means to drive the strand moving means, a clutch to couplethe strand moving means and the driving means, a tension arm held by themoving 11 5' strand in one position and automatically movable to anotherposition on release of the strand pressure thereon, a fluid actuatingdevice for releasing-the clutch, and a combined fluid control valve andfluiddash pot arrangement having it a reciprocable sleeve interposedbetween two cylinders and actuated by the tension arm for controllingthe fluid actuating device and for preventing a momentary slack in thewire from causing the tension arm to render the clutch inoperative.

GEORGE HERMAN FRANK.

